Cyclometer attachment for wheels of rail-cars.



P. W. HILD.. OYOLOMETER ATTACHMENT FOR WHEELS 0P RAIL CARS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912.

1, 1 1 3,785. I T Patented Oct. 13, 1-914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

All

WIC/yS'ESJ D lNVE/VTOR M r BY 23mm P. W. HILD.

GYGLOMETER ATTACHMENT FOR WHEELS OP RAIL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED mums, 1912.

1,1 13,785. Patented 001;. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESS INVENTOR A TTOR/VEV P. W; HILD.

GYGLOMETER ATTACHMENT FOR WHEELS 0F RAIL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1912. 1,113,785, Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR A TTOH/VEV rnnnnmc w. mm, or roarmnn, onneox. cvcmunrnn ar'molmnxr non. WHEELS or RAIL-CABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application illed January 15, 1912. Serial No. 871,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERIC W. Hm), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, county of .Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented a'new and useful Improvement in Cyclometer Attachments for Wheels of Rail-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cyclometers or mileage recorders by which the revolutions of a wheel are registered on dials. Devices of this character, as known, have heretofore been used in connection with automobiles and bicycles.

The object of my invention, however, is to obtain a device for use on the trucks of a car running on rails, so that it will register the revolutions of the car axle.

Another object I have in view is to so construct my device that it may be used as an attachment to any commercial form of journal box; that it will register movements in either direction and be'unafl'ected by movements due to looseness of the arts of the journal-bearing, or the play 0 the journal ends of the axle in its bearings.

My further object is to so construct the cyclometer attachment that it will be in'conspicuous, also to make it easily applied, and to avoid its interferin with the proper operation orinspection of the journal box. To this end my invention embodies the particular features hereinafter fully set forth. r

In the drawings constituting a part of this spec' cation: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a car truck showing the journalbox of one of the journal ends of one of its axles as provided with my invention for registering the revolutions of such car axle; Fig. 2 is a perspective elevation of the lid of said journal box provided with my cyclometer, the lid of the housin of the cyclometer being shown as lifte to permit the reading of the cyclometer; Fig. 3 is a perspective. side elevation of m cyclometer illustrating a method for flexibly supportg the case of the cyclometer so as to permlt the driving spindle of the cyclometer to accommodate itself to the movements, in lateral and vertical directions, of the journal-end against which it bears without interrupting the transmission of motion from the car axle to the cyclometer; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on a line A-A of Fig.

1, showing the journal-end of the car-axle from which motion is transmitted to my cyclometer attachment, also showing usual bearings for such journal-end, and this figure articularly illustrates one of the ways in w ich my invention is applied in practice; Fig. 5 is an exterior view of the housing of my cyclometer attachment formed integrally with the lid of the journal-box containing my cyclometer; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, similar to Fig. 4, but illustrates another way in which my invention is applied in practice; Fi 7 is a fragmental section approximate y taken on the line B-B of Fig. 5, showing a method of flexibly holding the driving spindle of the cyclometer in operative contact with the journal-end and permitting said spindle to accommodate itself to any movements of the journal-end without interrupting the transmission of motion from the car axle to the cyclometer; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic elevation of part of the cyclometer gearing embodied in the constructions shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

a represents a commercial cyclometer of the type embodying a circular case. The lid, 0, of the journal box (I is provided with a housing, 6, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. At the top and bottom, on the interior of the housing, 6, are provided guide channels, m, m, in which are suitably supported the resilient arms, is, is, of an annular frame j, to which the case, a, of the cyclometer is fastened by pins 2', or other convenient means. Thedriving spindle, e, of \the cyclometer is conveniently formed with a diamond-shaped tapering head e, as shown in Fig. 3, which is set in the cavity in the outer face of the axle of the journal-end, as shown at f in Fig. -1 The cavity referred to being that which is formed on said journal face for centering the axle in the lathe during its manufacture. The cyclometer is moved inward by a coil-spring n, so as to cause the head 6' of the driving spindle, e, to constantly bear against said face of the journal end. Thus any endwise thrust of the axle in its bearings is taken care of without injurious effects to the cyclometer or interfering with the transmission of motion, and likewise any motion of the journal-end in lateral or vertical directions is equally accommodated by the construction of the resilient arms, 1c, is, as apparent. One end of the the coil-spring n is seated in bearings 02', as shown in Fig. 4. I

In order to keep the journal packing from winding on the spindle and entering the housing of the cyclometer through the aperture of the latter, through which the driving spindle 6 projects, I provide a fiexible 1nclosure between the rear wall of said housing, b, and the opposing face of the journalend, as shown at p in Figs. 3 and 4. Said flexible inclosure may be constructed of a spiral spring p covered with fabric 72 A difierent form of mounting is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the readings are visible .from the outside through a transparent cover 9, the cyclometer-case 7' being rigidly mounted in the lid 0 of thejournal box d and a flexible driving pin 8 (illustrated in Fig. 7 engages with the above mentioned countersunk center f of the axleend 9. The flexible inclosure between the rear wall of the cyclometer 1' and the opposing face of the journal-end g (as shown at r in Fig. 6) consists of a movable collar 0, slidable in the stationary sleeve r and the collar r may be forced against the journalend 9 by a spiral spring, as 1' thus keeping the journal packing from winding on the driving pin 3.

The driving pin 8 rotates a slotted sleeve t through a universal joint u, the whole being forced outward by the spring-actuated plate '0, the latter forming a journal for the spindle w of the cyclometer r.

A transverse pin 10 through the spindle w slides in the slots 25' of the sleeve t and transmits the rotation of the latter to the cyclometer, also allowing longitudinal movement of the plate '0 and sleeve t on the said spindle w. Rotation of the spindle w in either direction oscillates a lever w, pivoted in the case and provided with a slot 8 in which an eccentric w of the spindle 'w operates to oscillate the said lever :12. A pawl y, mounted on the free end of the lever w, engages a ratchet wheel 2, and rotates the latter when the lever m is actuated.

The ratchet wheel 2 is commonly the first of the train of gears. in the cyclometer and the latter are not described as they constitute no part of my present invention.

The second above described device is merely shown to illustrate that the particular means for accomplishing my purpose may be varied as thought convenient.

I claim:

1. The combination with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in th cover of the journal box, a cyclometer having a projecting spindle, and means, supporting the cyclometer in said housing, adapted to hold the driving spindle in operative contact with the journal end, notwithstanding the movements of thelatter'in any direction; and a flexible inclosure between the housing of said spindle and the journal end.

2. The combination with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in the cover of the journal box, a cyclometer having a stem, means,

yieldingly supporting the cyclometer in said housing, adapted to hold the driving spindle in operative contact with the journal end,

the devices being also adapted to hold said spindle in such operative contact with the journal end notwithstanding the movements of the latter in any direction; said spindle projecting through said housing and hearing against the opposing face of the journal end of the axle.

3. The combination .with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in the cover of the journal box, a cyclometer having a spindle, means supportingthe cyclometer in said housin said supporting means adapted to sli e longitudinally in the housing; and means whereby the spindle of the cyclometer is yieldingly held in operative contact with the journal end.

4:. The combination with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in the cover of the journal box, a cyclometer having a spindle, means supporting the cyclometer in said housing, said supporting means adapted to slide longitudinally in the housing; means whereby the spindle of the cyclometer is yieldingly held in operative contact with the journal end; and a flexible inclosure for the exposed portion of said spindle in said journal box. 5.The combination with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in the coverpf the journal box, a cyclometer having a projectin spindle, means yieldingly supporting the cyclometer in said housing, said supporting means adapted to slide longitudinally in the housing; means adapted to so hold the cyclometer as to cause its spindle end toyieldingly bear against the journal end; and a flexible inclosure for the projecting end of said spindle between the housing and the journal end. 1

6. The combination with a journal end of a car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a housing provided in the cover of the journal box, a cyclometer having a projectin spindle, means yieldingly supporting the cyclometer in said housing, said supporting means adapted to slide longitudinally in the housing; means adapted to so hold the cy'-' clometer as to cause its spindle end to yieldingly bear against the journal end; the extremity of the spindle being formed with a tapered head seated in a cavity therefor provided in the axial center of the axle; and a flexible inclosure for the extremity of said spindle in contact with the journal end.

7. The combination with a journal end of as to cause its spindle end to yieldiugly bear a car-w eel axle and the journal box, of a against the journal end. housing provided in the cover of the journal 9. The combination with a journal end of box, a cyclometer havin a spindle, a yielda car-wheel axle and the journal box, of a ingly supporting arm or .said cyclometer, housing provided in the cover of the journal said arm seated longitudinally slidable in box, a cyclometer having a spindle, a yieldguide channel therefor provided in the housing support-ing arm for said cyclometer, said mg; and means adapted to so hold the cyarm seated longitudinally slidable in guide clometer as to cause its spindle end to yieldchannel therefor provided in the housing; a ingly bear againstthe journal end. coil-spring adapted to so-hold the cyclometer he combination with a journal end of as to cause its spindle end to yieldingly bear a oar-wheel axle and the journal box, of a against the journal end; and a flexible inhousing provided in the cover of the journal closure for the extremity of said spindle in x, a cyclometer having a spindle, means contact with the journal end.

' yieldmgly supporting the cyclometer in said FREDERIO W. HILD.

housing, said supporting means adapted to Witnesses: slide longitudina y in the housing; and a W. LEWIS CooK, coil-spring adapted to so hold the cyclometer GEoIL LONG. 

